Ancient Greek Warriors were referred to as hoplites, derived from the Greek word “hoplon” refe
rring to the spears used by the Greek Warriors in battle. The individual hoplites were adult citizen males drawn from local communities of city-states where they were linked to each other as friends and kin, knew each other by name, and ate and drank together in clubs. Hoplites were extremely close at a social level, and would continue to associate themselves with fellow warriors whose performance in battle depended entirely on the livelihood of one another. The sense of comradeship fostered by this kind of fighting was further reinforced by the shared hardships of campaigning, the collective rituals, which preceded and followed the battles them
selves and the patriotic exhortations of the co
Ancient Body Armor, Getty Villa, Malibu, CA
mmanders (Runciman, 732)
Clothing
The outfit of an ancient Greek Hoplite Warrior was rather complex considering the time period and resources available forits makeup. The helmet of the hoplite warrior weighed approximately 5 pounds and covered the head as well as part of the warrior’s neck, these were extremely uncomfortable and considering the fact that they were not molded to each warriors head, they often slid around, impairing vision and comfort. The Cuirass, or body armor of these warriors was most likely made of linen and covered the chest area along with the shoulders. Greaves were sheets of bronze that were basically present day shin guards, covering the knees to the ankles. The Chiton was worn around the waist of a warrior. Looking very similar to a present day skirt, made of clothand covering their upper legs almost down to their knees. Every outfit of the hoplite warrior also consisted of a recognizable mantle often worn on the Chiton (Richter, 46).
Weapons and Materials
Each member of the Hoplite Phalanx was equipped with “the same round, concave, double-grip shield, armed with the same iron-tipped, butt-spiked wooden spear and short sword, and wearing the same corselets and helmets” (Runciman 732).
Each sword was held inthe sheath, attached to the chiton and most likely made of leather.
Ancient Shield, Getty Villa, Malibu, CA
Defense - The Shield
There were two main types of shields used by the ancient Greeks in war. Both being about four feet long and made of oxhide, each included a strap worn over the left shoulder called a telamon. The first of these shields “which appears to be the one represented by the Iliad and is most commonly associated wit
h the Greek hero Ajax, is rectangular in shape and seems to have had a rising curve on its top edge, perhaps as a furthe
r protection” (Sage, 7). The second shield, is referred to as the figure 8 shield and is circular in formation and was wielded with a strap, both shields were made of oxhide stretchedover a wooden frame.
Offensive Weaponry
Hoplite Archers made up about 10 percent of each army, staying back behind the foot soldiers and picking off opposing warriors from a distance. The Greek archer would often be completely unarmored simply because of the fact that it would be very hard to hold up a shield while firing arrows at opposing forces. Bows and arrows were most often made of wood, and bows were also constructed using iron, and animal parts. The Hoplite spear was the most important weapon used by these warriors. The first Hoplite spears ranged from any size up to 10 feet, and as time went on they learned how to develop spears measuring 18 feet. These spears were construc
ted of Iron, with a very sharp leaf shaped spear at the end, and a bronze spike at the butt end to provide balance within the spear for maximum control. (Richardson, 621).
Each Hoplite Warrior was also equipped with a small iron sword, usually around 2 feet long, which were not used very often. These were secondary weapons to the spear, and used for close one on one battles, and/or when the spear was no longer able to be used. Another weapon used by the Ancient Greek’s was the slingshot. The bullets of these slingshots were composed of lead, considering the fact that lead was very easy to come by, and easy to make bullets out of. These soldiers knew that they would never get the bullets back, even more reason to use a cheap source like lead rather than iron or bronze. Many bullets recovered were inscribed, “such inscriptions contain the name of the issuing authority, whether a city, a king, or various army commanders (Foss, 41). These inscribed bullets most likely came from soldiers who were higher up, considering that the majority of bullets recovered had no inscriptions at all.
Strategy and Warfare
Hoplites fought in the phalanx formation. A formation in which the warriors would stand extremely close together, hoisting their shields above them, and being responsible for the lives of those that surrounded them. The murderous confrontation of opposing phalanxes was the central event within battle,
A Phalanx was a very successful formation when executed correctly. It was an entire unit of warriors as opposed to individuals, each willing to give up their own life for the men surrounding him. It was extremely tough for opposing forces to beat the tight knit phalanx, with the best men located in the front and at the rear, all
carrying the same weaponry as previously described. The middle lines of the phalanx were constructed of the less experienced fighters, who would often not be at risk until those in front of them went down
Types of Battles
The Warfare of the Ancient Greeks took place in two forms, mass and individual. “Major battles involved both hand to hand combat and missile warfare, but as the battle developed the focus could quickly change to individual combat among heroes or leaders”(Sage, 11). “Battles were usually won when one side was either pushed back in disarray or encircled, but hand to hand fighting might continue until only a handful of survivors were left”(Ru
nciman, 732). When a war ended, bodies of the dead would be recovered under truce and prisoners would be ransomed, casualty rates varied, but the risk of death for the losers was always extremely higher than that of the winners. (Sage)
Bibliography
Harry Craig Richardson, "Iron, Prehistoric and Ancient," Archaeological Institute of America, Pepperdine University, 19,June, 2011.
Gisela M.A. Richter, "A Greek Sword Sheath of a Scythian King," Metropolitan Museum of Art, Pepperdine University, 20, June, 2011.
W.G. Runciman, "Greek Hoplites, Warrior Culture and Indirect Bias," Royal Anthropological institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Pepperdine University, 19, June, 2011.
Clive Foss, "Greek Sling Bullets in Oxford," The Society for the Promotion of Hellenistic Studies, Pepperdine University, 20, June, 2011
Michael M. Sage, "Warfare in Ancient Greece, the Sourcebook," Unknown, Pepperdine University, 21, June, 2011.
Unknown, "Ancient Greek Body Armor," The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA.
Unknown, "Ancient Greek Shield," The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA.
Greek Weapons and Warfare
Greek Weapons and Warfare
toc Origin- The Hoplites
Clothing
Weapons and Materials
Defense - The Shield
Offensive Weaponry
Strategy and Warfare
Types of Battles
Bibliography
Ancient Greek Warriors were referred to as hoplites, derived from the Greek word “hoplon” refeTable of Contents
rring to the spears used by the Greek Warriors in battle. The individual hoplites were adult citizen males drawn from local communities of city-states where they were linked to each other as friends and kin, knew each other by name, and ate and drank together in clubs. Hoplites were extremely close at a social level, and would continue to associate themselves with fellow warriors whose performance in battle depended entirely on the livelihood of one another. The sense of comradeship fostered by this kind of fighting was further reinforced by the shared hardships of campaigning, the collective rituals, which preceded and followed the battles them
selves and the patriotic exhortations of the co
Clothing
The outfit of an ancient Greek Hoplite Warrior was rather complex considering the time period and resources available forits makeup. The helmet of the hoplite warrior weighed approximately 5 pounds and covered the head as well as part of the warrior’s neck, these were extremely uncomfortable and considering the fact that they were not molded to each warriors head, they often slid around, impairing vision and comfort. The Cuirass, or body armor of these warriors was most likely made of linen and covered the chest area along with the shoulders. Greaves were sheets of bronze that were basically present day shin guards, covering the knees to the ankles. The Chiton was worn around the waist of a warrior. Looking very similar to a present day skirt, made of clothand covering their upper legs almost down to their knees. Every outfit of the hoplite warrior also consisted of a recognizable mantle often worn on the Chiton (Richter, 46).Weapons and Materials
Each member of the Hoplite Phalanx was equipped with “the same round, concave, double-grip shield, armed with the same iron-tipped, butt-spiked wooden spear and short sword, and wearing the same corselets and helmets” (Runciman 732).Each sword was held inthe sheath, attached to the chiton and most likely made of leather.
Defense - The Shield
There were two main types of shields used by the ancient Greeks in war. Both being about four feet long and made of oxhide, each included a strap worn over the left shoulder called a telamon. The first of these shields “which appears to be the one represented by the Iliad and is most commonly associated with the Greek hero Ajax, is rectangular in shape and seems to have had a rising curve on its top edge, perhaps as a furthe
r protection” (Sage, 7). The second shield, is referred to as the figure 8 shield and is circular in formation and was wielded with a strap, both shields were made of oxhide stretchedover a wooden frame.
Offensive Weaponry
Hoplite Archers made up about 10 percent of each army, staying back behind the foot soldiers and picking off opposing warriors from a distance. The Greek archer would often be completely unarmored simply because of the fact that it would be very hard to hold up a shield while firing arrows at opposing forces. Bows and arrows were most often made of wood, and bows were also constructed using iron, and animal parts. The Hoplite spear was the most important weapon used by these warriors. The first Hoplite spears ranged from any size up to 10 feet, and as time went on they learned how to develop spears measuring 18 feet. These spears were constructed of Iron, with a very sharp leaf shaped spear at the end, and a bronze spike at the butt end to provide balance within the spear for maximum control. (Richardson, 621).
Each Hoplite Warrior was also equipped with a small iron sword, usually around 2 feet long, which were not used very often. These were secondary weapons to the spear, and used for close one on one battles, and/or when the spear was no longer able to be used. Another weapon used by the Ancient Greek’s was the slingshot. The bullets of these slingshots were composed of lead, considering the fact that lead was very easy to come by, and easy to make bullets out of. These soldiers knew that they would never get the bullets back, even more reason to use a cheap source like lead rather than iron or bronze. Many bullets recovered were inscribed, “such inscriptions contain the name of the issuing authority, whether a city, a king, or various army commanders (Foss, 41). These inscribed bullets most likely came from soldiers who were higher up, considering that the majority of bullets recovered had no inscriptions at all.
Strategy and Warfare
Hoplites fought in the phalanx formation. A formation in which the warriors would stand extremely close together, hoisting their shields above them, and being responsible for the lives of those that surrounded them. The murderous confrontation of opposing phalanxes was the central event within battle,A Phalanx was a very successful formation when executed correctly. It was an entire unit of warriors as opposed to individuals, each willing to give up their own life for the men surrounding him. It was extremely tough for opposing forces to beat the tight knit phalanx, with the best men located in the front and at the rear, all
carrying the same weaponry as previously described. The middle lines of the phalanx were constructed of the less experienced fighters, who would often not be at risk until those in front of them went down
Types of Battles
The Warfare of the Ancient Greeks took place in two forms, mass and individual. “Major battles involved both hand to hand combat and missile warfare, but as the battle developed the focus could quickly change to individual combat among heroes or leaders”(Sage, 11). “Battles were usually won when one side was either pushed back in disarray or encircled, but hand to hand fighting might continue until only a handful of survivors were left”(Runciman, 732). When a war ended, bodies of the dead would be recovered under truce and prisoners would be ransomed, casualty rates varied, but the risk of death for the losers was always extremely higher than that of the winners. (Sage)
Bibliography
Harry Craig Richardson, "Iron, Prehistoric and Ancient," Archaeological Institute of America, Pepperdine University, 19,June, 2011.Gisela M.A. Richter, "A Greek Sword Sheath of a Scythian King," Metropolitan Museum of Art, Pepperdine University, 20, June, 2011.
W.G. Runciman, "Greek Hoplites, Warrior Culture and Indirect Bias," Royal Anthropological institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Pepperdine University, 19, June, 2011.
Clive Foss, "Greek Sling Bullets in Oxford," The Society for the Promotion of Hellenistic Studies, Pepperdine University, 20, June, 2011
Michael M. Sage, "Warfare in Ancient Greece, the Sourcebook," Unknown, Pepperdine University, 21, June, 2011.
Unknown, "Ancient Greek Body Armor," The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA.
Unknown, "Ancient Greek Shield," The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA.